My Cigar Box (4 string) Mandola.I copied the lengths and scale off of my Eastwood Airline Electric Mandola and put (single) Mandola strings on it but can't get it to tune.The strings are C- .0 36 / G- .034 / D- .024 / A- .010.Also this is my first attempt at fretting so any and all suggestions are most WELCOME!
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Seems like most cigar boxes come with some really good hardwood strips. So I use one of these (a piece of walnut) and added it to the back of the head stock, and rebuild the bridges. I can playit.Woo-hoo!
Curt, You could overlay a piece on the back of the head stock, but may need to take done the front.
That neck does look too thick. - I've done this-- remove the frets and put a 1/4 inch fretboard on top. Worked fine and I don't much care how it looks from the side (not too bad). Always good to have the fretboard a bit higher than the box.
For me, building is more fun than fixing. I tend to put them away for a while - build another or two and then come back to the fixer.
I am thinking the tuners may indeed be the problem.
Can't decide if I should l make a piece to overlay on the back of the head stock and add some thickness to bring the tuners down a bit or hang this one on the wall and armed with this new knowledge, start on second one.
Very nice looking. In what way will it not tune? Just guessing here, but the tuners not being lower than the nut may be the problem. How thick front to back is the neck?
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One of my first attempts at doing a cutaway was on a cigar box mandola a few years ago...
Yay!
Seems like most cigar boxes come with some really good hardwood strips. So I use one of these (a piece of walnut) and added it to the back of the head stock, and rebuild the bridges. I can playit.Woo-hoo!
I apprentice all the help.
Here it is on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzi3-8OuMDs&feature=g-upl&co...
I think adding a finger board would of been better cause when I pick, I am constantly hitting the body.
Good idea, Vinyl.
Put a capo on the first fret, and see if you can tune it then.
Curt, You could overlay a piece on the back of the head stock, but may need to take done the front.
That neck does look too thick. - I've done this-- remove the frets and put a 1/4 inch fretboard on top. Worked fine and I don't much care how it looks from the side (not too bad). Always good to have the fretboard a bit higher than the box.
For me, building is more fun than fixing. I tend to put them away for a while - build another or two and then come back to the fixer.
I am thinking the tuners may indeed be the problem.
Can't decide if I should l make a piece to overlay on the back of the head stock and add some thickness to bring the tuners down a bit or hang this one on the wall and armed with this new knowledge, start on second one.
Very nice looking. In what way will it not tune? Just guessing here, but the tuners not being lower than the nut may be the problem. How thick front to back is the neck?